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Donna...just found your blog...I absolutely love it! And I love your singing! I'm at work right now and it was just exactly what I needed to hear to help me make it through tonight! Thanks for your ministry here! - Robert

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10

Yesterday was one of those days. It seemed as if everything I touched either quit working or fell apart. All day long, I struggled, trying to get things done. Last night my husband started to put the lights on the tree. Of course, half of the lights that worked when we put them in the box last year did not work when they came out of the box. What happened in there?

I muttered more than once, “Why is everything so difficult? Why can’t anything be a piece of cake?”

Sunday night we watched “The Nativity Story.” Afterwards a friend commented that it seemed as if the movie portrayed one struggle after another.

I recalled her comment yesterday, and realized that the difficulties I faced were nothing in comparison to the obstacles overcome in order for Jesus to come as our Savior. There was nothing easy about Jesus’ birth. Mary had to endure people looking down at her because she was having a baby, even though she had never been with a man. Joseph was ridiculed because Mary was pregnant. Mary’s family felt the brunt of judgment by friends and family. To worship the Savior, the shepherds left their flocks, their only means of income. The Magi packed up and traveled for many months to see the King.

When I have a bad day, it’s only a bad day. If I whine because a book hasn’t been published or an article wasn’t accepted, I should remember that life isn’t always easy, and I will enjoy the best things in life more if I have had to work for them. If I type my fingers to the bone, burn the midnight oil, and suffer countless rejections, these small hardships never compare to the sacrifice God made so that I can spend eternity with Him.

When I complain I hope to remind myself of the great sacrifice Jesus made for me, and for you. Nothing I do, say, or write will ever be enough to express my gratitude for His love, my salvation, and I must admit, compared to the lives of some people, I do have a life that’s a piece of cake.

And I’m so thankful God thought we were worth the struggle.

Prayer: God, thank You for Your sacrificial love. I pray that I make every day of my life a sacrifice of praise and service to You. In Jesus' wonderful, mighty, precious, sweet name I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

A special treat! A hidden picture puzzle by Liz Ball. To order books with her hidden picture puzzles and Topsy Turvy Land, click HERE. Enjoy!

*Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

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Look for hidden pictures in my books. Hearts in the Topsy Tales, bones in Poodle and Doodle, and all kinds of hidden animals and items in Where is Salami? There are chocolate chip cookies and teacups in every picture in Ava's Secret Tea Party. Have fun!

Ava's Secret Tea Party

"In the style of a classic fairy tale, Donna Shepherd has written "Ava's Secret Tea Party," an imaginative tale sure to enthrall children for years to come. Boys and girls alike will delight in finding the hidden teacups and cookies in the fanciful illustrations and planning their own parties using the kid-friendly recipes and crafts." Suggested age range for readers: 2-5. Click pic to order.

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